Warning: Contains spoilers for West Side Story 2021.
Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of West Side Story makes a major change to the conflict between the Jets and the Sharks. Spielberg's West Side Story stars Ansel Elgort and newcomer Rachel Zegler in the roles of Tony and Maria, the iconic star-crossed lovers. While the adaptation doesn’t change the heart of the story, Spielberg and writer Tony Kushner approach the story in West Side Story 2021 differently than the 1961 version, offering a deeper look into the problems that the Puerto Rican community in the Lincoln Square neighborhood might have faced in 1950s New York City – turning the Jets and Sharks rivalry one of explicit racial bigotry rather than simply a gang turf war.
The original Stephen Sondheim musical is a Romeo & Juliet story set in 1950s New York City, in which the two leads, Tony and Maria, fall in love despite being from two rival groups: a white gang called the Jets, and a Puerto Rican gang called the Sharks. The musical was famously adapted to film in 1961, a version that went on to become one of the most iconic movie musicals of all time. Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation takes most of its inspiration from the classic 1961 film, honoring the classic — it even brings back the legendary actress Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the original, in a new role that takes the place of Doc, the owner of the drugstore where Tony works and the Jets often meet.
The biggest change in Spielberg's 2021 West Side Story is that the Puerto Ricans — the Sharks in the original story — are not a gang, but a community facing discrimination from the racist Jets. While it’s a bold choice, Spielberg’s decision to pull back from the gang rivalry aspect was the right move. The "sharks" in the 2021 movie are young men trying to protect their community from xenophobic attacks. Set in the 1950s, the original West Side Story film and musical touch on the racism of the era, but in a much more sanitized way that would have been palatable for a 1960s moviegoing audience. By making it clear that the Jets are the aggressors, Spielberg’s version removes the “both sides are bad” attitude of the 1961 film, and centers the experiences of the Puerto Rican immigrants.
West Side Story 2021 presents a more nuanced and honest depiction of the impoverished setting, and how that contributes to the racial tensions in the neighborhood. Riff, the leader of the Jets, channels his discomfort over the shifting demographics of the area into vandalism and violence against everyday Puerto Ricans. Spielberg's changes to the characters in West Side Story 2021 reflect a more realistic approach to the violence of the situation that these young people were subjected to in the poor Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City. In the 1961 version, the Jets and the Sharks only target each other, and while it’s clear that the Jets are racist, the conflict squarely stays between the two groups and is largely over gang territory. Spielberg softens the gang territory issue and makes it clear that the Jets’ problem is that they view the Puerto Rican immigrants as invaders who are taking over their neighborhood.
Spielberg's change to the Sharks in West Side Story 2021 is most obvious by the fact that, apart from the title card at the end, the Puerto Rican characters are never referred to as "Sharks." Bernardo, usually depicted as the Puerto Rican leader, is now a neighborhood hero because he’s a boxer who the young men of the community look up to. While Bernardo is still a hothead, especially when it comes to Maria, he’s no criminal. At its core, West Side Story is a tragedy about how hate can destroy, and the Steven Spielberg movie understands that. The gritty realism of 1950s New York City makes the story come alive in a new way, and by being honest about the experiences of communities of color, Spielberg not only provides more accurate representation, but challenges audiences to contend with this story in a new way.